(Prunus persica var. Nectarine).
The present invention refers to and relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree which will hereinafter be denominated varietally as the xe2x80x98White Dragonxe2x80x99 nectarine tree which produces a clingstone fruit, which are mature for commercial harvesting and shipment approximately September 7-10 in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California as a late, fresh-market nectarine, white fleshed with a good red blush skin coloration.
In the development of new varieties of fruit trees a premium is placed upon those which produce fruit either early or late in the growing season when few competing varieties are available. When a new variety of fruit which matures early or late has good size, good color (blush), good flavor, and can be held or stored well, the fruit of this variety has a very good chance for commercial success in the fresh market. This new invention of a white fleshed nectarine meets this criteria.
The present variety of nectarine tree was discovered by the inventor in his orchard of xe2x80x98Sunny Redxe2x80x99 nectarine trees (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,534) which is located near Reedley, Calif. in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. The inventor discovered the variety as a sport of a xe2x80x98Sunny Redxe2x80x99 nectarine tree in 1998. The new variety was first reproduced by the inventor in 1999 at 9588 Lac Jac Road in Reedley, Calif. by hybrid grafting 12 trees from mature wood. The asexually reproduced trees first bore fruit of the new variety in September 2000. The inventor carefully compared the asexually reproduced trees with the parent sport including the fruit thereof and has confirmed that the parent and the progeny are identical in all respects.
The xe2x80x98White Dragonxe2x80x99 nectarine tree is characterized by producing a clingstone fruit which has good red blush coloration and is ripe for commercial harvesting and shipment approximately September 7-10 in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. The new variety is most closely similar to the xe2x80x98Sunny Redxe2x80x99 nectarine tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,534) from which it is a sport but from which it is distinguishable in that it ripens about 3 to 5 days later than the fruit of the xe2x80x98Sunny Redxe2x80x99 nectarine tree and in that the fruit is 10% to 15% larger in size than that of the xe2x80x98Sunny Redxe2x80x99 nectarine tree.